Scobie Malone (Rod Taylor) is a police detective from the Australian outback who is sent by the Premier of NSW (Leo McKern) on a sensitive assignment to the UK to extradite Sir James Quentin (Christopher Plummer) – who is currently serving as the Australian High Commissioner in London – on a charge of murder committed 25 years previously.
Malone isn’t totally convinced that Sir James is actually guilty but nevertheless intends to carry out his duty to the best of his ability.
Quentin is taking part in extremely sensitive middle-east peace talks and can not be immediately disturbed, so Malone ends up watching the talks and discovers that someone wants the talks to fail enough to kill Sir James, becoming the diplomat’s unwitting bodyguard in the process.
Jack Thompson later played Jon Cleary’s Scobie Malone character in the 1975 Aussie film Scobie Malone, based on Cleary’s novel Helga’s Web.
Unfortunately, it’s a slow and very talky film and did not meet with critical approval upon its release.
Released in some markets as The High Commissioner.
Scobie Malone
Rod Taylor
Sir James Quentin
Christopher Plummer
Sheila Quentin
Lilli Palmer
Lisa Pretorius
Camilla Sparv
Maria Cholon
Daliah Lavi
Joseph
Clive Revill
Denzil
Lee Montague
Jamaica
Calvin Lockhart
Pallain
Derren Nesbitt
Julius
Edric Connor
Coburn
Paul Grist
Pham Chinh
Burt Kwouk
Leeds
Russell Napier
Ferguson
Ken Wayne
Jacko
Charles Tingwell
Ambassador Townsend
Franchot Tone
Premier Flannery
Leo McKern
Sir James’ Assistant
Nick Tate
Australian Policeman
Vincent Ball
Director
Ralph Thomas